Red Sox looking forward to what comes

Saturday

BOSTON — Outside Fenway Park, the temperature was in the teens. Inside the Red Sox locker room, cartons were packed to ship to Florida.

BOSTON — Outside Fenway Park, the temperature was in the teens. Inside the Red Sox locker room, cartons were packed to ship to Florida.

"Scutaro Beltre Pants" was written on one in black marker. "Lackey/Cameron" was printed on another.

Spring training is less than three weeks away and Boston general manager Theo Epstein is looking forward to it.

"The best way to get excited about spring training is to have a snowstorm and have it freezing outside," he said Friday. "So, yeah, we're definitely ready, eager to get down there."

Shortstop Marco Scutaro, third baseman Adrian Beltre, right-hander John Lackey and center fielder Mike Cameron will report to Boston's camp in Fort Myers for the first time after being signed as free agents. Beltre and Cameron are outstanding fielders and Scutaro brings more offense and solid defense to a position played last year by slick-fielding, light-hitting Alex Gonzalez.

"I think what we feel good about is how well rounded we are," Epstein said. "A lot has been made about moving in a different direction with our defense, but that's not really what we did. We just made an attempt to become well-rounded and be good in all areas of the game."

Epstein was in the locker room Friday with manager Terry Francona and president Larry Lucchino to greet winners of a promotion that gave four tickets to the opening game April 4 against the New York Yankees to one person from each of the six New England states.

Their names were above lockers where players' nameplates usually go. One that was missing was Jason Bay's.

The Red Sox lost offense when Bay, their leading home run hitter, signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. The left fielder fit in well with Boston soon after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2008 from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Epstein is confident that the club's relations with third baseman Mike Lowell, who the Red Sox tried to trade, and right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who withheld details of an injury last season, are fine.

A deal to obtain catcher Max Ramirez from the Texas Rangers fell through in December when an examination found Lowell had a thumb injury. He had an operation Dec. 30, but the Red Sox later signed Beltre to take over at third base.

"He (Lowell) is a professional and we're obviously just trying to do what's best for the club," Epstein said. "We've never hid the ball from any of our players, just tell them the truth about what we're trying to do. So things should be fine."

He said Lowell should start swinging a bat soon and be close in early March to playing in a game. The team's first full-squad spring training workout for pitchers and catchers is on Feb. 24 with the first game on March 3.

Matsuzaka told a Japanese magazine in early January that he hid from the Red Sox an injury to his right inner thigh sustained last January. During the season, he had two stints on the disabled list and finished at 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA in 12 games. That followed a year when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA.

Epstein and other Sox officials talked with Matsuzaka after he disclosed the injury.

"He was apologetic about not being more forthcoming," Epstein said, "and he seems to be working hard to make up for it."

Designated hitter David Ortiz also had a disappointing season with a .238 batting average, 28 homers and 99 RBIs.

"He's feeling good about himself," Epstein said. "He's worked hard."

One area of little concern, at least for now, is starting pitching. Lackey joins Josh Beckett and Jon Lester in an outstanding top three in the rotation. Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield give the Red Sox six starters.

Some rotations may seem very deep on paper, Epstein said, but "by the time you get into the season, you can't find a starting pitcher to take the ball. So I don't see that (depth) as a problem. I see that as a potential asset."

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